UK imposes fresh sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers

Britain has imposed fresh sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as the United States warned Israel it must boost aid into Gaza within 30 days or risk losing its supply of cash for weapons.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL & MILLIE COOKE

Foreign secretary David Lammy accused Israel of allowing “impunity to flourish” among extremist settlers, as he announced new measures targeting three outposts and four organisations that have supported and perpetrated “heinous abuses of human rights” against Palestinian communities in the occupied territory.

There has been a huge rise in settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording more than 1,400 attacks by illegal settlers since October 2023. It came just hours after Mr Lammy’s predecessor, David Cameron, revealed he had been preparing to sanction two Israeli ministers over comments encouraging blocking aid to Gaza.

Adding to the pressure on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House has warned that more humanitarian aid must flow into Gaza or have weapons funding cut.

Secretary of state Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to their Israeli counterparts demanding changes amid deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza and an Israeli strike on a hospital tent site that killed at least four people, causing international dismay.

For Israel to continue qualifying for foreign military financing, the level of aid getting into Gaza must increase to at least 350 trucks a day, Israel must institute additional humanitarian pauses and provide increased security for humanitarian sites, Mr Austin and Mr Blinken wrote. They said Israel had 30 days to respond. In the British sanctions announced yesterday, the three settlements targeted are Tirzah Valley Farm Outpost, Meitarim Outpost and Shuvi Eretz Outpost.